Letter of the Day: A few words that say it all

“Still, the feds — and the public — should look beyond raw numbers. Minority students do have higher rates for being disciplined, as well as dropping out of school. But a higher percentage live in poverty and begin school classified as not being fully prepared.”

The disparities in poverty and nutrition among families in the school system start before birth. Some are more advantageous than others. Wouldn’t improving living/growing conditions be a better choice early than useless “discipline” later on?

I believe that we must care for the “least” among us. Not just for their sakes, but also for the sake of the community in which we live and our country as a whole. This may be “socialist,” but it really is a no-brainer.

The social programs that were begun in the John F. Kennedy/Lyndon Johnson era have been eroded over time by a shortsighted Congress. It’s time to revisit the programs again, improve where we can, and create a new focus.